Editing Bayfront Auditorium

{{Infobox Building
|image=MunicipalAuditorium1974.jpg
|caption=The Municipal Auditorium in [[1974]]
|name=Bayfront Auditorium<br/><small>formerly the Pensacola Municipal Auditorium</small>
|location=900 South [[Palafox Street]]
|architect=
|client=[[City of Pensacola]]
|engineer=
|owner=
|construction_start_date=
|completion_date=[[1955]]
|renovations=
|date_demolished=[[2005]]
|cost=$820,000
|structural_system=
|style=
|size=
|mapcode=<googlemap version="0.9" lat="30.404712" lon="-87.213507" zoom="15" width="300" height="250">
30.402361, -87.21297
</googlemap>
}}
'''Bayfront Auditorium''' (known as the '''Pensacola Municipal Auditorium''' until [[1988]]) was a building that sat for fifty years at the foot of [[Palafox Street]], overlooking [[Pensacola Bay]]. It was demolished in [[2005]].

==History==
Planning for the auditorium was begun in the early 1950s. The development faced early opposition from the [[Saenger Theatre]]'s owners and others who questioned "the right of the city to levy amusement taxes which would tax the theatres for the construction of a competitive business."<ref>"Saenger Continues Fight On Pensacola Auditorium." ''Boxoffice'', July 14, 1951.</ref>

The Municipal Auditorium was built for $820,000 and dedicated on [[February 8]], [[1955]]. The [[Pensacola High School]] band played at the dedication ceremony and was the first group to perform there. The [[Wikipedia:Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra|Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra]] was the first major concert a month later, to a crowd of about 2,000.<ref name="landmark">"Landmark brought many greats." ''Pensacola News Journal'', October 18, 1999.</ref>

The building was managed by former [[Mayor of Pensacola|Pensacola mayor]] [[Walter Wicke]] from its opening until Wicke's death in [[1966]].<ref>http://www.stjohnshistoriccemetery.com/pensacolas_heritages/government.htm#w_wicke</ref> During [[segregation]], blacks were forced to use a side entrance and sit in the balcony.

During its lifetime, the building was host to some of the world's biggest musical acts. [[Wikipedia:Elvis Presley|Elvis Presley]] performed at the auditorium on [[February 26]], [[1956]].<ref>http://community.netscape.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ws-music&tid=86642&redirCnt=1</ref> [[Wikipedia:Patsy Cline|Patsy Cline]] sang at the auditorium only a few years before her death. When [[Wikipedia:Jerry Lee Lewis|Jerry Lee Lewis]] performed, he pounded the new piano so fiercely that the management stopped the show halfway through. The attendance record was set by [[Wikipedia:Charley Pride|Charley Pride]], whose [[1971]] concert packed in 3,000 fans.<ref name="landmark"/>

In later years, the building also hosted the [[Civil Airs Dance Club]] and the [[Pensacola Junior League]]'s annual "Bargain Sale" fundraiser.

The building began to lose its appeal to more modern venues with better acoustics and more accessible parking. As more musical acts chose to perform at the larger [[Pensacola Civic Center]] and more intimate [[Saenger Theatre]], Bayfront Auditorium fell into disrepair. In its final years, the [[City of Pensacola]] was losing more than $100,000 every year to keep it open.<ref>O'Brien, Mark. "Tear down a tired auditorium and let county build better facility." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 24, 2003.</ref>

On [[January 22]], [[2004]], the [[Pensacola City Council]] voted to demolish the building, to be replaced by a new municipal auditorium as part of the [[Festival Park]] project on the [[Trillium]] site. It got a reprieve when that project was halted by a voter referendum. However, after receiving extensive damage during [[Hurricane Ivan]], the building was again slated for demolition. [[Big Dog Demolition]] completed the demolition on [[July 24]], [[2005]], and debris was used for offshore fishing reefs and in Phase II of [[Project GreenShores]].<ref>http://www.bigdogdemo.com/bayfront.html</ref>

[[Plaza de Luna]] was built on the site of the auditorium in [[2006]] and opened in [[2007]].

==Other performers==
*[[The Byrds]] (1968)
*[[Three Dog Night]] (1969 or '70)
*[[The Cowsills]] (May 17, 1970)
*[[Ted Nugent & Bloodrock]], with Pensacola's premier band Lyman Slack (February 1973)
*[[Charlie Daniels Band]] (May 31, 1973)
*[[BB King]]  (June 11, 1973) 
*[[Foghat]] (Summer 1973)
*[[Cheech and Chong]] (Fall 1973)
*[[Black Oak Arkansas]] (July 16, 1973 & January 27, 1974)
*[[White Witch]] (Summer 1974)
*[[Bee Gees]] (1975)
*[[Wet Willie]] (Spring 1975)
*[[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] (March 29, 1975)
*[[Rare Earth]]  (Winter 1975-'76)
*[[Gulf Coast Corvette Club Car Show]]  (Summer 1978)
*[[Mike Danger's No Wave Jam]] (Summer 1986)
*[[Wikipedia:Megadeth|Megadeth]] (April 14, 1987)
*[[Echo and The Bunnymen]] (April 14, 1988)
*[[Ted Nugent and LA Guns]] (April 25, 1988)
*[[Wikipedia:Continental Championship Wrestling|Continental Championship Wrestling]] (Late 1970s-late 1980s)
*[[Roy Jones, Jr.]] (several times between 1989 and 1991)
*[[Wikipedia:Bob Dylan|Bob Dylan]] (September 12, 1992)
*[[Wikipedia:Primus|Primus]] (1993)
*[[Wikipedia:Jethro Tull|Jethro Tull]] (April 3, 1996)
*[[Wikipedia:Presidents of The United States of America|Presidents of The United States of America]] (May 11, 1996)
*[[Wikipedia:311|311]] (May 23, 1996)
*[[Wikipedia:No Doubt|No Doubt]] (May 23, 1996)
*[[Wikipedia:Rage Against the Machine|Rage Against the Machine]] (July 15, 1996)
*[[Wikipedia:Tori Amos|Tori Amos]] (August 10, 1996)
*[[Wikipedia:Foo Fighters|Foo Fighters]] (April 29, 1998)
*[[Wikipedia:Widespread Panic|Widespread Panic]] (April 28, 1999)
*[[Wikipedia:"Weird Al" Yankovic|"Weird Al" Yankovic]] (October 5, 2000)
*[[Wikipedia:Green Day|Green Day]] (January 15, 2001)
*[[Wikipedia:A Perfect Circle|A Perfect Circle]] (February 18, 2001)
*[[Wikipedia:Papa Roach|Papa Roach]] (March 18, 2001)
*[[Wikipedia:The Offspring|The Offspring]] (April 25, 2001)
*[[Wikipedia:311|311]] (October 19, 2001)
*[[Wikipedia:B. B. King|B. B. King]] (December 29, 2002)
*[[Wikipedia:Puddle of Mudd|Puddle of Mudd]] (April 20, 2004)

==Images==
<gallery>
Image:MunicipalAuditoriumRear.jpg
Image:BayfrontAuditoriumAerial.jpg
Image:Bayfrontaud1959.jpg|From [[Pensacola Bay]], [[1959]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Demolished structures]] [[Category:Music venues]]